Aiming High: Why Rigorous Grade-Level Standards are Essential for English Learners in High School
For English Learners (ELs) in high school, the goal is not merely to acquire English, but to gain full access to the academic content necessary for college and career readiness. This means rigorously engaging with grade-level standards, even as they continue to develop their linguistic proficiency. While tempting to simplify curriculum, research overwhelmingly supports the importance of high expectations and strategic scaffolding to ensure ELs are not relegated to a perpetual remedial track.
The Imperative of Grade-Level Access:
Placing ELs in consistently modified or "watered-down" curricula, while seemingly supportive, can inadvertently create a significant achievement gap. This practice can lead to:
Limited Academic Opportunity: Denying ELs exposure to complex concepts and academic vocabulary limits their ability to meet graduation requirements and pursue higher education (Artiles et al., 2010; Olsen, 2010). They may become "long-term English learners" (LTELs) not due to a lack of effort, but a lack of opportunity to grapple with challenging content.
Reduced Cognitive Demand: Simplifying content can inadvertently lower cognitive demand, preventing ELs from developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that are essential for academic success in all subjects (Gibbons, 2009).
Perpetuation of Achievement Gaps: When ELs are not exposed to the same rigorous content as their English-proficient peers, the achievement gap widens over time, making it increasingly difficult for them to catch up (Goldenberg, 2008).
Research, particularly from scholars like Jim Cummins (1984), emphasizes the importance of developing Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) – the language needed to understand and express complex ideas in academic settings. This CALP development is best fostered when ELs are immersed in rich, challenging academic content, not isolated from it.
Strategies for Accessing Rigorous High School English Courses:
The key is not to lower standards, but to strategically scaffold access to those standards. This requires a collaborative effort between English Language Arts (ELA) teachers and ESOL specialists.
Leverage Prior Knowledge and First Language (L1) Resources:
Research Basis: Students learn new information by connecting it to what they already know. Activating prior knowledge, even in L1, significantly improves comprehension for ELs (August & Shanahan, 2006).
In Practice: Before reading a complex text (e.g., Shakespeare, a research article), activate students' background knowledge through discussions, visuals, or short videos. Allow students to discuss concepts in their native language with peers if available. Provide L1 glossaries or summaries of key concepts for complex texts.
Explicit Academic Vocabulary Instruction:
Research Basis: A strong vocabulary is a significant predictor of reading comprehension (Nation, 2001). ELs need explicit instruction in academic vocabulary, not just content-specific terms (Zwiers, 2008).
In Practice: Pre-teach Tier 2 (high-frequency academic words like "analyze," "evaluate," "synthesize") and Tier 3 (content-specific like "metaphor," "protagonist") vocabulary. Use Frayer models, word walls, semantic maps, and encourage the use of new vocabulary in speaking and writing.
Intensive Scaffolding of Complex Texts:
Research Basis: Scaffolding allows students to perform tasks that would otherwise be beyond their current independent abilities (Vygotsky, 1978). For ELs, this means making challenging texts comprehensible without reducing their rigor (Gibbons, 2009).
In Practice:
Chunking: Break long texts into smaller, manageable sections.
Graphic Organizers: Use visual tools like story maps, Venn diagrams, or plot diagrams to help organize information.
Sentence Stems/Frames: Provide sentence starters to support analytical responses (e.g., "The author's use of ____ conveys ____ because ____.").
Think-Alouds: Teachers model their thought process while reading a challenging passage.
Text Simplification (Cautiously): Use simplified versions as a bridge, always paired with the original text and strategies to compare and contrast language.
Promote and Scaffold Academic Discussions and Writing:
Research Basis: Productive talk and academic writing are crucial for developing higher-order thinking skills and solidifying language acquisition (Walqui, 2010).
In Practice: Structure collaborative discussions with clear roles and accountability (e.g., jigsaw activities, Socratic seminars with sentence stems). Provide explicit models of academic writing genres (e.g., argumentative essays, literary analysis). Offer sentence frames for writing complex ideas. Provide language-focused feedback on written work.
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy:
Research Basis: When teaching practices are culturally responsive, ELs feel more connected to the curriculum, leading to increased engagement and academic success (Gay, 2010).
In Practice: Select texts and topics that resonate with ELs' experiences and backgrounds where possible. Acknowledge and value their linguistic and cultural assets as resources for learning. Create a classroom environment where all voices are respected and valued.
Conclusion:
Holding high expectations and providing access to rigorous, grade-level standards is not just an ideal; it's an educational imperative for high school English Learners. By employing thoughtful, research-backed instructional strategies that scaffold access to complex content and academic language, educators can ensure that ELs are well-prepared not only for graduation but for future academic and professional endeavors, truly breaking down barriers to opportunity.
References:
Artiles, A. J., Rueda, R., Salazar, J. J., & Higareda, I. (2010). English language learners and urban education: A critical perspective. Urban Education, 45(6), 666-681.
August, D., & Shanahan, T. (Eds.). (2006). Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on language-minority children and youth. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Cummins, J. (1984). Bilingualism and special education: Issues in assessment and pedagogy. College-Hill Press.
Echevarria, J., Vogt, M. E., & Short, D. J. (2017). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP model. Pearson.
Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). Teachers College Press.
Gibbons, P. (2009). English learners, academic literacy, and thinking: Learning in the challenge zone. Heinemann.
Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English language learners: What the research does—and does not—say. American Educator, 32(2), 8-23.
Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge University Press.
Olsen, L. (2010). Reparable harm: Fulfilling the unkept promise of educational opportunity for high school English learners. California Tomorrow.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Walqui, A. (2010). Scaffolding learning for English language learners: A resource guide for English language learners. WestEd.
Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content classrooms, grades 5-12. Jossey-Bass.